Meet Our Board

Annora Dirsa
Role: Founder/Director of Operations
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Speech Language Pathologist

Why you joined the VU board: I became involved with VU Philadelphia in 2018. I served as Director of Networking from 2018-2019, until I moved to Austin. I truly believe in the work that the VU organization does, and feel that volunteer work is essential to helping communities and non profits succeed. When I arrived in Austin, I saw a need for volunteers across the city and community members searching for ways to get involved. These needs have continued to grow as Austin’s landscape continues to change. I founded VU ATX in hopes of connecting Central Texas non profits and Austin residents, in order to support Austin and its future.

Kiersten Oubre
Role: Director of Networking
Hometown: Port Neches-Groves, Texas
Occupation: Clinical social worker
Why you joined the VU board: I joined the board because of the mission of VU and the passion shared amongst members to give back to the Austin community. There is nothing better than building community serving alongside others and supporting local nonprofits.

Jeff Nunez
Role: Director of Partnerships
Hometown: Stamford, CT
Occupation: Architect
Why you joined the VU board: I joined the VU board as a new resident to Austin to learn more about local organizations and their missions and to support them alongside with the community my family and I live in. Currently, I am pursuing a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management (CNLM) and look forward to delivering strong cultural values as a team! 

Jess Bradford
Role: Director of Marketing
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Occupation: Customer Success 
Why you joined the VU board: I am passionate about volunteerism and love the VU mission of making it easy for people to connect with local non-profits while also meeting new people. It's been exciting to see how this community supports each other and builds connections that extend outside of the monthly events! Austin is my favorite city and has a vibrant non-profit ecosystem. It is really rewarding when our volunteers discover a new nonprofit or cause they weren't aware of before. 

Jaselle Valdez

Role: Director of Social Media
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Occupation: Learning Experience Designer
Why you joined the VU board: It can be challenging to find volunteer opportunities in Austin and sometimes a little scary to try something new. VU AtX has the opportunity to not only share with people what they can get involved with but also show them how many amazing nonprofits and organizations are part of the Austin community. I joined the VU board to be part of something that bridges the gap between local involvement. Utilizing social media we can show what it means to volunteer, highlight community involvement, promote local partners, and much more!